Virgin Sydney Premium Entry Permanently Closing

[antycbr]

regarding SYD: I believe that the new screening equipment required the floor to be reinforced, which may not be possible in the priority entry. I’d rather them have a policed priority screening point rather than a open for 3 hours a day on weekdays only entry point.

 

[RooFlyer]

Race to the bottom continues.

Race To The Bottom is going ahead full stream.

My $10 McDonald's Voucher, if all those costly and annoying lounges finally close as a further great Elite 'ENHANCEMENT', will be a sad reminder of happier times.

Don't reward poor outcomes! Vote with your wallet - change your airline (weren't you going to?), and give us a break.

 

[ozstamps]

That's the point ..VA are stating "they are extending its time open"...without actually anyone telling them it's there ...but never been opened!

Virgin never let the sad and downgraded FACTS get in the way of a breathless new ENHANCEMENT spiel!

This is pure Monty Python reject script pile stuff -


Priority screening gets better

•	Sydney Lounge Premium Entry - permanently closed after 19 December 2025

 

[Human]

As a Melburnian, this is all upside.

 

[Saab34]

So it’s either an airport management directive or a cost cutting move on Virgin’s end.

No doubt it costs a bit to run.

 

[simmomelb]

So it’s either an airport management directive or a cost cutting move on Virgin’s end.

No doubt it costs a bit to run.

Yeah I'm surprised they didn't close them long ago. I'm sure there is also a point where they are required to move to a full body scanner without choice, which would be excessively costly to install and run for a few to use at certain times.
Given the location of the new faster body scanners just before the lounge entry in SYD this is a sensible move.
They could use that area for far more important purposes.

 

[The-Aviator]

I rarely got to use the SYD priority entry post-covid as my flight times almost never aligned so I'm not overly fussed by the loss now. That said, wouldn't it be nice if they made the new priority lane available all day long? Surely even at quiet times of the day they can keep the lane open but unstaffed and redirected to the main scanners - would literally be zero extra cost but with the benefit of promoting an all-day fast lane for Biz and Elite customers.

I also echo the hope that a little refurb allows them to expand the SYD lounge into the now unused space. Passing through this weekend I noticed the toilets near the priority entry were open so they seem to be making a bit more use of that section of the lounge than they traditionally have.

 

[HS-TQE]

So it’s either an airport management directive or a cost cutting move on Virgin’s end.

No doubt it costs a bit to run.

Probably a bit of both.

Makes sense for VA to close them and redirect the money towards priority general security considering their decision to go downmarket. The space used for the old Premium Entry could be repurposed for other uses for example e.g small office / meeting rooms for Small/Medium Businesses.

So why people act like they're surprised is bewildering considering this was likely inevitable with the limited hours post-covid.

 

[Saab34]

Is a full lounge renewal program on the cards anytime soon? I feel like Sydney needs it, bit ratty if you ask me.

 

[Cryptarcadian]

Not a week goes by without that "gets better" at VA.

The squirrel entrance at SYD was truly awesome in the old days, felt like a genuine perk to look forward to using. Haven't actually managed to use it post-Bain/post-COVID since they cut the hours down.

I get that a wannabe-LCC wouldn't run such a thing, but seriously… not even offering priority lanes at the regular screening point all day?

 

[moa999]

I'd say any lounge renewal at T2 also depends on the airports new T2/T3 connector plans and how that might interface to the lounge.

The preliminary envelope design gets pretty close to the lounge.
VA and partners might push for an international exit from their lounge for example.

 

[Scarlett]

I'd say any lounge renewal at T2 also depends on the airports new T2/T3 connector plans and how that might interface to the lounge.

The preliminary envelope design gets pretty close to the lounge.
VA and partners might push for an international exit from their lounge for example.

View attachment 482193

Since when did SYD become a Garuda hub? And why the heck have all the QF aircraft morphed into ‘one star’ airlines? Even the ‘Saab sin bin’ is full of the orange cancer…

At least the Dash8s appear to have been replaced by some form of small twin jet!

Oh SYD, couldn’t you have afforded some decent AI picture generation?

 

[ozstamps]

Is a full lounge renewal program on the cards anytime soon?

The Bain Bean Counters are possibly about to breathlessly announce the Hobart and Cairns lounges will TREBLE in area starting tomorrow.

Three times more food, three times more booze, and three times more luxurious and private space away from the teeming masses.

Best of all, this massive expansion will not affect their bottom line or budgeting by ONE CENT. When you are a directionless LCC, that is all that matters.

 

[Warks]

Not to mention it's not all day unlike all other cities (excluding Melbourne), despite SYD-MEL being the busiest route in Australia ...

A week ago I walked through at 0759. The next week I was there around 0700 and got the "sorry, security isn't working, but we have a dedicated lane at the main security..." where the line proved to be slower than the pleb line - the shape of things to come. Had the same experience in Brisbane - dedicated lane had a group of three women, one with a baby in a pram, each one of them had three carry-on bags full of chips etc. They farted around so much and the pram caused so much chaos I jumped over to another line. And they probably weren't 'elite' flyers anyway (not that I would know, just thought I'd throw that in but they weren't checking status).

 

[Flyerwin]

I'm VA WP and never knew there was a separate priority line at SYD T2? I just queue up where everyone queues up?

 

[ben95]

I actually don’t mind that at all. I travel through SYD T2 weekly and always arrive on the train. The premium entry is of no value to me really because the escalator up drops me straight onto the entrance to the security lines and for the time I travel (5-6 PM) there’s barely any wait in the normal security lines. Even if the premium entry is open I wouldn’t take the walk outside of the terminal to save 1 minute. If that trades a premium security line for more of the day then it’s good for me.

That’s maybe me as a Melbournian though - we’ve never had a premium entry, but the T4 premium security line is always manned and quick. Not that the T4 security line is MEL outside of school holiday is that bad either.

 

[MooTime]

But, but, but. They have listened to customer feedback .... Could.be worse they seem to be saying the Perth premium security will have longer opening hours. It's been closed without opening for as long as I can remember.

Exactly, the tired baloney line 'we listened to our customers'......yeah we had a single feedback stating I don't mind if Syd premium entry closes as I don't use it....yep that's it, we'd better listen to that sole viewpoint & close it & we can say we listen to our customers. All BS.

 

[stm1sydney]

Virgin never let the sad and downgraded FACTS get in the way of a breathless new ENHANCEMENT spiel!

This is pure Monty Python reject script pile stuff -


Priority screening gets better

•	Sydney Lounge Premium Entry - permanently closed after 19 December 2025

Calm down. We know you hate VA.

Sounds like a reasonable move. The new screening area is much quicker than it was and, if there is extended hours of a policed priority lane there, it's all good given it is also adjacent to the main lounge entry anyway.

 

[Warks]

I'm VA WP and never knew there was a separate priority line at SYD T2? I just queue up where everyone queues up?

Out the front through the smokers and confused pensioners waiting for a tour bus, up the ramp to find the door locked is how it works. If you get to valet parking you've gone too far...